Kucinich: SCHIP Bill Fails To Provide Health Coverage For Legal Immigrant Children

[Sapphire Blue]

Since Kucinich's vote will very likely get distorted six ways to Sunday, I'm crossposting this from GD: P...

Kucinich: SCHIP Bill Fails To Provide Health Coverage For Legal Immigrant Children

Washington, Sep 25 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), issued the following statement after voting against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) conference report today:

“I cannot support legislation which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children,” Kucinich said. “This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it.

“Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite.

“HR 676 guarantees full health care coverage for all children. When considering a universal health care proposal, HR 676, the Medicare for All bill, is the only health care plan that addresses three important issues: quality, accessibility, and cost. HR 676 stands alone in an increasingly crowded field of efforts to provide health care coverage to all,” Kucinich said.

Kucinich voted for the original House-passed version of the bill because it contained language to grant health coverage for legal immigrant children. However, in today’s bill, this language was omitted.


http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=75275

[Mass]

1. Thanks for posting this thread.

It is one of the points where the Conference Committee decided to cave.

I wont blame people for voting for the bill, but I would hope that people would refrain from attacking Kucinich on that when he voted on principles.

[pnwmom]

4. They decided to cave because Bush will be vetoing the bill.

And the Democrats cannot override his veto without a significant number of Republicans voting with them.

So the Dems had to choose. They could pass the temporary stop-gap bill that Bush wanted. That was unacceptable. Pass the version they wanted, which Bush would veto and they couldn't override. Or pass the final Conference-committee version, which Bush will probably veto -- but hopefully there will be enough votes to override him, from Dems and Repubs.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. So, if some poor kids won't get health care, none should?

:shrug:

[pnwmom]

3. Kucinich is not known for an ability to compromise.

He reminds me of Nader in that respect.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Nor is he known for his ability to get anything done in DC

[superkia]

5. Just like our civil rights in our past right?

It was fine to give everyone their rights while shitting on black people. Why should everyone go without rights because one group is singled out.:sarcasm:

What is happening in our country when it is okay to exclude certain people because of something they cant change. I thought we had made steps forward as a country but maybe not. I think the outrage she be directed at the politicians excluding people instead of the ones trying to stand up for the minority.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. That would be like African-Americans refusing to attend integrated schools until

all schools were integrated.

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Which poor children would you opt to not cover? Yours? Your brothers'? Your sisters'? Your friends'?

Your neighbors'?

Is it acceptable to deny coverage to a specific group of poor children based on their country of origin? Could you look into their eyes & tell them why they should be denied? If you could do that, I feel sorry for you.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Apparently Kucinich is in favor of denying coverage to everyone

Is that a better choice?

[Sapphire Blue]

10. WRONG; he is in favor of covering "All individuals residing in the United States (including any...

... territory of the United States)"

HR 676 IH: United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act)

~ excerpt ~

TITLE I--ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFITS

SEC. 101. ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION.

(a) In General- All individuals residing in the United States (including any territory of the United States) are covered under the USNHI Program entitling them to a universal, best quality standard of care. Each such individual shall receive a card with a unique number in the mail. An individual's social security number shall not be used for purposes of registration under this section.


The full text is available @ http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-676

Is your Rep a cosponsor? If not, perhaps you could encourage him/her to sign on as a cosponsor.

Cosponsors

Rep. Neil Abercrombie
Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Rep. Xavier Becerra
Rep. Howard Berman
Rep. Robert Brady
Rep. Corrine Brown
Rep. Julia Carson
Del. Donna Christensen
Rep. Yvette Clarke
Rep. William Clay
Rep. Steve Cohen
Rep. Elijah Cummings
Rep. Danny Davis
Rep. William Delahunt
Rep. Michael Doyle
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Eliot Engel
Rep. Sam Farr
Rep. Chaka Fattah
Rep. Bob Filner
Rep. Barney Frank
Rep. Al Green
Rep. Raul Grijalva
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez
Rep. Phil Hare
Rep. Alcee Hastings
Rep. Maurice Hinchey
Rep. Mazie Hirono
Rep. Michael Honda
Rep. Jesse Jackson
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee
Rep. William Jefferson
Rep. Eddie Johnson
Rep. Henry Johnson
Rep. Stephanie Jones
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Dale Kildee
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. David Loebsack
Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Rep. James McDermott
Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Michael McNulty
Rep. Martin Meehan
Rep. George Miller
Rep. Gwen Moore
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Rep. Grace Napolitano
Del. Eleanor Norton
Rep. John Olver
Rep. Edward Pastor
Rep. Donald Payne
Rep. Charles Rangel
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
Rep. Bobby Rush
Rep. Timothy Ryan
Rep. Linda Sánchez
Rep. Janice Schakowsky
Rep. Robert Scott
Rep. José Serrano
Rep. Hilda Solis
Rep. Betty Sutton
Rep. Bennie Thompson
Rep. Edolphus Towns
Rep. Tom Udall
Rep. Maxine Waters
Rep. Diane Watson
Rep. Anthony Weiner
Rep. Peter Welch
Rep. Robert Wexler
Rep. Lynn Woolsey
Rep. Albert Wynn
Rep. John Yarmuth

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-676

Edited to add: You didn't answer my previous questions: Which poor children would you opt to not cover? Yours? Your brothers'? Your sisters'? Your friends'? Your neighbors'?

Is it acceptable to deny coverage to a specific group of poor children based on their country of origin? Could you look into their eyes & tell them why they should be denied? Again, if you could do that, I feel sorry for you.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. I would rather deny it to some kids than deny it to all kids

[Sapphire Blue]

12. Which ones? Would you, could you, look into their eyes & tell them that?

[Virginia Dare]

13. Could you look ALL of them in the eyes and tell them that?...n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

14. I could not look any man, woman, or child in the eye & tell them that...

... which is why I support HR 676.

[Virginia Dare]

15. If you put up a bill that has no chance of passing..

that is in essence what you're doing. It's fine to stand on principle, but not to the detriment of accomplishment. In this case, accomplishing SOMETHING is better than accomplishing NOTHING. It's something that can be built on later, just like the original SCHIP program. Not perfect, but a building block.

[Sapphire Blue]

16. If Congress truly represented We the People, HR 676 would have passed long ago.

What exactly is accomplished when a specific group of people is thrown under the bus because of their country of origin?

[Virginia Dare]

17. Congress represents all sorts of people

freepers too. The disenfranchised are often ignored. Not everybody in Congress is liberal and enlightened, not a shocking concept. It's not going to change overnight. Personally, with the continual obstructionism by the Republicans, I feel that any inroads we can make at this point is a good thing.

[Sapphire Blue]

18. Yes, they represent (at least they are SUPPOSED to represent) the 47 million uninsured, too.

I'll bet freepers are included in that group. I'll even bet that those freepers would like health care coverage. Congress might want to consider that... or they might continue to see their approval rating drop.

As far as things changing overnight, passing HR 676 would do just that.

[Virginia Dare]

21. No, the freepers think SCHIP is socialism..

look it up, they do.

[Sapphire Blue]

25. HR 676 is not SCHIP; it's the "United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and...

... Improved Medicare for All Act) "

Even though freepers might think of either SCHIP or HR 676 as socialized medicine, I'll bet that uninsured freepers would greatly appreciate having health care coverage for themselves & their families, whatever it's called. Heck, they might even decide to become socialist freepers ;) .

[Virginia Dare]

26. Good luck with that!

;-)

[Bluerthanblue]

20. Saphire Blue could you help me

understand where exactly this bill excludes legal immigrant children?

I'm not questioning the fact, i just want to understand the reasoning. I have 2 "adopted" grandsons, the oldest of which is a legal immigrant, and who is currently under LCHIP coverage along with his brother who was born here. Will he be losing this???

I'm not trying to be lazy- i just can't find it. And they are going to be moving south next month- I would very much like to know what is going on, so i can try and help mom and dad navagate the change-

thanks-
blu

[Sapphire Blue]

24. You can find info about the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) @

http://www.nilc.org/immspbs/cdev/ICHIA/

(This is what was ommitted from the SCHIP reauthorization bill voted on yesterday)

[Bluerthanblue]

28. many thanks-

:hi:

peace
blu

[bluedog]

32. you mean this.....that its up to the state to decide?

To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to permit States the option of coverage of legal immigrants under the Medicaid Program and the State children's health insurance program (SCHIP).

[Sapphire Blue]

34. There is more to it than that...

FACTS ABOUT THE Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA)


■ Why Legislation Is Needed

Most newly arrived immigrants who are lawfully pre-sent are barred for five years from access to health care under the critical federal programs, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).* The five-year bar, enacted in 1996, created a hole in a social safety net that had previously treated lawfully pre-sent immigrants and citizens equally. Immigrant health is suffering as a result. The most recent National Health-care Disparities Report, for example, concludes that Lati-nos are victims of widening racial and ethnic disparities in health care.
The proposed Immigrant Children’s Health Improve-ment Act (ICHIA), which has garnered bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, provides a solution for chil-dren and pregnant women. ICHIA should be introduced as part of this year’s scheduled SCHIP reauthorization, which promises to provide access to health care for unin-sured children. For the past decade, newly-arrived immigrant children have been left uncovered. ICHIA would allow states to provide medical coverage to law-fully-present immigrant children and pregnant women under Medicaid or SCHIP, with no waiting period.


■ Primary Health Care for Children and Pregnant Women Saves Money

The goals of the federal Medicaid and SCHIP pro-grams are best served when states can use federal funds to provide basic health services to lawfully present chil-dren and pregnant women. Yet children of immigrants are three times more likely than children of native-born citizens to lack a usual source of health care. Prenatal care is especially critical in preventing, detecting and treating health problems before they become more seri-ous and costly. Immigrant women with no prenatal care, for example, are four times more likely to deliver low birth-weight infants than immigrant women who received prenatal care. Every dollar spent on prenatal care saves $4 in longer-term medical costs.


■ Immigrants Should Benefit from Health Programs Supported by Their Taxes

Immigrants contribute tax dollars to support the federal health care programs that they are barred from using. And compared to citizens’ use of health care services, the average immigrant uses less than half the dollar amount of health care services as the average native-born citizen. Numerous studies have found that the tax payments gen-erated by immigrants outweigh any costs associated with services that they use.


■ Flexibility and Fiscal Relief for States

In response to the lack of equity in current federal health care policy, over twenty states spend their own money to cover at least some of the immigrants who are ineligible for federally-funded health services. ICHIA would expand state flexibility by allowing them to choose the services that best meet their communities’ needs. Both the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures support pas-sage of ICHIA.

——————————
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Dinah Wiley, public benefits policy attorney | [e-mail] | 202.216.0261 x.3

* Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for these programs.


http://www.nilc.org/immspbs/cdev/ICHIA/ichia_facts_2007-01-25.pdf

More info is available @ http://www.nilc.org/immspbs/cdev/ICHIA/

[SaveElmer]

19. Kucinich makes common cause with Republicans...again...

It is quite clear that he is only in Congress because it is a platform for whatever national aspirations he has...he clearly has no interest in legislating in any serious way...

His vote on this was a disgrace, and I hope Rosemary Palmer beats him over the head with it!!!

[bluedog]

22. he wants it all/ or none at all...........n/t

[Atman]

27. That is NONSENSE

The Republicans don't want health care for ANYBODY. DK wants it for EVERYBODY, and has pointed out a serious flaw in this legislation. The language guaranteeing same was taken out at the last minute...ask WHY, by WHOM. You won't do that though, you choose to attack DK instead for pointing it out.

I'd simply ask the same question the others have...to whom will you deny coverage, and why? No Hispanics? No Norwegians? Which group isn't worthy of health care? To say that he doesn't want ANYONE to have this coverage is completely dishonest. If you want to discuss the merits of his approach, or question the wisdom of this particular tactic, go ahead. But don't lie about it.

.

[bluedog]

29. voting against it......shows he doesn't.........

what further proof does one need?...............what if they all voted the same as he did...all the kids would be shit out of luck.....right?

[Atman]

30. NEENER NEENER NEENER! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

That's all I got out of your reply.

.

[Sapphire Blue]

31. It's unfortunate that Sen. Clinton didn't fight harder for her bill (S 764/LICHEA).

But then Bill Clinton discarded heath care in favor of NAFTA, so it shouldn't surprise me that Hillary wouldn't fight very hard for legislation that she introduced.

btw, since you brought up Rosemary Palmer, and since you want her to beat Kucinich over the head w/his vote, where does she stand on the issue of health care? It's not listed as an issue on her website.

[Sapphire Blue]

36. No comment on Sen. Clinton & S 764/LICHEA, or Rosemary Palmer on health care?

[MH1]

23. Kucinich "Fails To Provide Health Coverage" for other children.

Thanks, Dennis.

Legal immigrants choose to come here with the benefits or non-benefits that entails. I disagree with excluding them from SCHIP but I disagree more with Kucinich's vote against all children.

[Cleita]

33. No child should be denied health care.

They didn't choose the circumstances that they were born in.

[Sapphire Blue]

35. No, they shouldn't.

And it shouldn't even matter what circumstances they were born in.